Coaxial cables are a well-known type of electrical cable that may be used to carry information signals such as television or data signals. Coaxial cables are widely used in cable television networks and to provide broadband Internet connectivity. FIGS. 1A and 1B are, respectively, a transverse cross-sectional view and a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a conventional coaxial cable 10 (FIG. 1B is taken along the cross section 1B-1B shown in FIG. 1A). As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the coaxial cable 10 has a central conductor 12 that is surrounded by a dielectric 14. A tape 16 is preferentially bonded to the dielectric 14. The central conductor 12, dielectric 14 and tape 16 comprise the core 18 of the cable. Electrical shielding wires 20 and, optionally, electrical shielding tape(s) 22 surround the cable core 18. Finally, a cable jacket 24 surrounds the electrical shielding wires 20 and electrical shielding tape(s) 22. As shown in FIG. 1B, the dielectric 14, tape 16, electrical shielding wires 20, electrical shielding tape 22 and cable jacket 24 may be cut, and the electrical shielding wires 20, electrical shielding tape 22 and cable jacket 24 may be folded back, in order to prepare the coaxial cable 10 for attachment to certain types of coaxial connectors.
Coaxial connectors are a known type of connector that may be used to connect two coaxial cables 10 or to connect a coaxial cable 10 to a female connector port on a device (e.g., a television, a cable modem, etc.) having a coaxial cable interface. Coaxial “F” connectors are one specific type of coaxial connector that is used to terminate a coaxial cable with a male coaxial connector.
A number of different types of coaxial “F” connector designs are known in the art, including, but not limited to, crimped connectors, swaged connectors and connectors which secure the cable into the connector with compression-style cable retention elements. With the crimped connector designs, typically a hexagonal-shaped tool is used to crimp a sleeve of the connector onto the coaxial cable that is to be terminated into the connector. With the swaged connector designs, the sleeve of the connector is swaged circumferentially inward so as to reduce its inside diameter in order to exert the required retention force on the coaxial cable.